The case of 39 persons who were reported ‘missing’ after they went to Jordan on pilgrim visas on November 29 could well be a case of human trafficking. The City police, who on Wednesday found that six of these persons had returned in December, are verifying this angle.
The episode had come to light on Tuesday, when the Foreigner Regional Registration Office lodged a complaint with the Valiyathura police stating that 39 persons, who went on pilgrim visas to Jordan, did not return even a month after the scheduled date of return.
According to the police, the complaint was that the 39 persons, from various places, including from other districts, were taken by two tour operators hailing from Vettucauad here to Jordan on November 29. The duo was reportedly working for a travel agency based at Paravur in Kollam district. They were scheduled to return by December 6. As per the complaint, none of them had returned and the two operators are missing.
‘Found jobs’
S.Y. Suresh, Circle Inspector, Poonthura, said on Wednesday that it was found that six of the group had returned by mid-December with the others staying back in Jordan after finding jobs there.
They had gone on pilgrim visas, valid for one week, and within that time, had managed to land jobs, mostly as home nurses, with help from agents there.
Their work permits and further documents need to stay there would be processed in due course of time, as per information available here now. Each of them allegedly paid Rs.2 lakh for the entire trip, with the six who returned being the only ones who could not find jobs.
“We believe this is not the first time that such groups were taken to such places for job purposes, since we found that many of those who went this time had relatives in Jordan, who had gone there in similar fashion. It was based on their feedback that these people approached the travel agency and they went willingly,” the police said.
The police, into the second day of the probe, said the possibility of pressing charges of human trafficking against the travel agency was strong, but could be confirmed only after further investigation.
Six of 39 persons returned in December: police
Group had gone on one-week pilgrim visas
